ENGERY STAR is a program between the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency designed to help us all save money while protecting the environment through energy efficient products and practices. For more information, visit www.energystar.gov.

NFRC stands for the National Fenestration Rating Council. NFRC is a non-profit organization that administers uniform, independent ratings and product labeling for energy performance of windows, doors and skylights while providing an independent third party rating for measuring and comparing energy performance of windows and doors.

A “U-Factor”, also known as a “U-Value”, measures the rate of heat loss of your windows and doors. The lower the U-Factor, the better the window or door keeps heat from escaping from your home during the winter and keeps heat out during the summer weather.

SHGC, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient, is the fraction of solar radiation admitted through a window or door, either directly transmitted, and absorbed and released into your home. The lower the SHGC, the less heat from the sun is allowed into your home in the summer to reduce your cooling cost.

Low-emissivity coatings reduce heat transfer through windows by limiting the amount of radiant energy they emit. Low-e glass has a microscopically thin, transparent coating – it is much thinner than a human hair – that reflects long-wave infrared energy (or heat). Low-e coatings minimize the amount of ultraviolet and infrared light that can pass through glass without compromising the amount of visible light that is transmitted.

Excessive humidity is the cause of most window condensation. As the outside temperature drops, the window glass temperature also drops. When moist air comes in contact with the cold glass pane, the moisture condenses and forms water droplets on the window or door frame and glass. Windows and doors with Low-E glass and Argon gas fill will remain warmer on the inside and reduce condensation.

For the DIY homeowners you can find detailed installation instructions attached to all of our replacement windows. There are several also several excellent web sites designed to aid with removal and installation of doors and windows. Click here for a copy of our installation instructions.

Window frames come in a number of different materials, including wood, vinyl, aluminum and fiberglass. Vinyl windows are the most affordable by almost half the price of comparable wood windows. They are also especially energy efficient, thanks to the vinyl lineal designs that boost the insulating ability by trapping air inside the hollow chambers. Vinyl windows can also be built to any size opening. Unlike wood windows, vinyl windows never need painting.